Tert.am reporting citing Hraparak paper

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is said to be in strong disagreements with the president over a range of foreign policy issues.

The paper claims that President Armen Sarkissian is planning a trip to Baku in the near future though sources from the presidential administration deny the report, considering it absurd. Citing its sources, the paper says further that the president may also visit Iran.

Though Sarkissian did not discuss the issue with the Iranian ambassador whom he met ahead of his recent trip to Europe, the paper claims that the president is nonetheless preparing to visit the Islamic Republic. Also Prime Minsiter Pashinyan is said to be planning a visit to Iran. Later, in July, the premier will travel to Brussels to attend the NATO summit, says the paper, adding that a key issue on the meeting aganda will be a scheduled discussion over possible measures to restrain Russian aggression.

gagrulenet/photo

Voters are attracted to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump because of their decisiveness, a US study has found.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump both have the voters’ preference for a strong leader, acting decisively in a crisis, to thank for their popularity, according to a US study.

“When a country is facing urgent threats from the outside, citizens want a head of state who can take immediate action. Citizens under direct threat want a leader who can and will guarantee their security,” explained Steven V. Miller in the Washington Post.

Miller, an assistant professor in political science at Clemson University, carried out a study which looked at the reasons why individuals support state leaders with broad authority that is organized around their leadership.

The professor examined the high levels of support enjoyed by President Putin, who has a 90 percent approval rating in Russia, and by Trump, who is leading the Republican primaries with an approval rating more than twice that of Ted Cruz in second place.

“All that support, for both Putin in Russia and Trump in the US, implies that citizens are seeking what I call ‘strong leaders,’ or state leaders who will take bold action without concern for checks and balances.”

“Why do citizens support the ‘strong leadership’ proposed by Trump or provided by Putin? My research shows citizens across the world — not just the US and Russia — prefer this kind of leader when they are afraid of a serious threat to national security or economic livelihood,” wrote Miller, who also identified a similar trend in India in recent times.

In Russia, citizens are worried by instability in Ukraine, given its close proximity and links with Russia, writes Miller. In the US, he identified terrorism, migration, and a worsening economic situation as the fears which drive voters to seek a strong leader.

Does the two Armenian new leaders in a popularity contest over foreign policy issues?

Why Putin and Trump Owe Popularity to Strong Leadership

“When a country is facing urgent threats from the outside, citizens want a head of state who can take immediate action. Citizens under direct threat want a leader who can and will guarantee their security,” explained Steven V. Miller in the Washington Post.